My parents let me borrow their minivan a few years back to haul a couch to our home. The only caveat they placed on the deal was that I'd be responsible for removing the van's rear seats to make room for the couch. I couldn't complain.

Installed in one of the rear seats was a child seat for my niece, then a toddler. Not having children, I'd never really paid much attention to what goes into installing the device or its cost.

It seemed like a highly complex installation, especially to a guy who's yet to start raising a family and still believes most household repairs can be made with duct tape.

It seemed expensive, which my brother later confirmed. The price tag on a nice one isn't necessarily cost prohibitive to most of the middle class, but it's also not something McDonald's would give away with a Happy Meal. Not everyone has that kind of money.

However, it's a grave misconception that a child seat's cost and complexity of installation put the best security available out of reach to parents of limited means -- or to those like me whose knowledge of mechanics lies somewhere between tying a shoelace and replacing a light bulb.

Every parent should know there is an abundance of resources out there that will help them get the seat and get it installed correctly.

We know from Pennsylvania State Police that none of the children was wearing seatbelts or in booster seats. Police have yet to identify the children or give their ages, but were quick to confirm that fact.

Also killed in the Chestnuthill Township wreck was Destini Watson, 23, of Blakeslee in Monroe County. She was buckled up behind the wheel, according to police.The relationship between Watson and the children is unclear; there was also an adult passenger in the vehicle who was hospitalized after the crash, police say.

Whoever was responsible for the children wasn't far from assistance if they were looking for help obtaining the proper seating or installing it. The following agencies, according to the Pennsylvania Traffic Injury Prevent Project, will loan child seats to families who can't afford to buy them:

Across the Delaware River, Safe Kids New Jersey says it provides child safety seat services statewide. Its northern New Jersey coalition can be reached at 973-971-4327.

Some of the same agencies, according to the National Traffic Highway Safety Administration, will also inspect or install child car seats free of charge. This is a service that many police departments in the region offer as well.